The Evolution & Future of Metabolomics Techology | March 2018

Around 20 years ago, metabolomics technology was struggling to emerge from the concept stage. Based on the history of biochemistry in the clinic and in mapping many aspects of physiology, metabolomics was expected to provide useful insights, but it was unclear to what extent. Once the technology began to produce accurate and comprehensive data sets, it began to reveal many profound surprises, suggesting a far greater impact than we originally imagined.

Chief among these unexpected findings are: 1) the strikingly strong genetic associations of mutations to metabolites, ushering in metabolomics as a key companion for functionally mapping the human genome; 2) since a significant fraction of metabolites within the body are produced or influenced by the microbiome, metabolomics is integral for defining how the microbiome influences health; 3) through the continuous discovery of new metabolites, a significant amount of new biochemistry is yet to be mapped; and 4) how extensive the breadth of application is for the technology - cosmetics, food products, CAR T cell bioprocess optimization, agricultural seed development, and more.

In this webinar, we provide a retrospective and prospective look at the previous and next two decades of metabolomics technology. We also describe how advances such as artificial intelligence (AI) will further catalyze some of the findings from the first two decades, as well as accelerate new discoveries. Providing easy access for investigators to rapidly measure thousands of metabolites at the scale of millions of samples portends to the completion of a functional genetic-phenotype map, routine clinical assessment of the individual, and many new applications - limited only by the imagination.

Learning Objectives

Gain an overview of the key historical challenges of metabolomics

Learn how these challenges were overcome with software and instrumentation

Obtain an overview of some of the most unexpected findings that the technology enabled

Get a glimpse into the future of how continued advances in computing and artificial intelligence are anticipated to accelerate numerous areas of life science research and precision medicine